Rappaccini's Daughter by Nathaniel Hawthorne Short Story, Question Answer, Summary Complete Notes for BA English

                                                                 

Q. Discuss the theme of the story.

 

Answer:

 

The theme of the story is man’s inhuman lust for knowledge and power. Scientists work for power through knowledge. They are ambitious to rule over the rulers through their power of knowledge. They do not bother about the human aspects of their work.

 

Prof. Rappaccini is a typical scientist. His lust for power leads him to experiment with poisons. The result of his work is a horrible variety of deadly poisons. The poisonous herbs developed by him make his garden a zone of death2. Some of the herbs are so lethal that even their smell can kill a man. Breathing the poisonous air of the garden makes the professor and his daughter immune to poison. No poison can kill them. But any antidote can kill them because the poison is the breath of their life. So the professor's daughter dies the moment she drinks a few drops of Baglioni's antidote. The death of the professor's only daughter is the moral lesson of the story.

 

The old Professor learns the lesson at the cost of his only daughter ---- -a very heavy cost, no doubt.

 

Thus the story carries a note of warning not only against too much love for science but also against the selfishness of all kinds.

 

Some critics have pointed out another moral aspect of the story. They say that it is not the professor's love for science but it is his love for his daughter that leads him to his dangerous exploits. He does not like to be separated from his daughter by her marriage. That is why he makes her dangerous for all other human beings. Whatever the case, the story cuts both ways equally well.

 

GIOVANNI’S CHARACTER 

 

Young Giovanni is a voice of reason in the inhuman atmosphere of the story. He is always worried about the danger created by the cruel old professor Rappaccini. He hates the old professor's lust for lethal knowledge. He knows that it is actually lust for power.

Unfortunately (or fortunately?) he falls in love with the professor’s daughter. But he is shocked to discover that the girl‟s breath is poisonous. He tries to cure her and make her a normal human being. But the well-meant attempt ends in the girl‟s death. The cure for poison kills her because the poison was her life.

 

Giovanni acts in love. His failure turns into Professor Rappaccini's punishment for his evil designs. So we can say that Giovanni's humane role brings out the moral lesson of the story. Giovanni deserves respect and pity. He is respectable because he tries to prevent the harm caused by the old professor's love and work for science with a negative purpose. He has a positive and constructive approach to life and love. He deserves pity for the tragic end of his love affair. The irony of his fate is that his well-meant efforts to save the girl (his beloved) end in her death, whereas her father's dangerous experiments with poison had made her life secure against poisons. Young Giovanni also deserves respect for his hard work as a student.

Although he is not the central figure in the story, yet he is a lovable character for these qualities of his character.

 

CHARACTER SKETCH OF BEATRICE

Rappaccini‟s Daughter is a tragic love story, and Beatrice is its heroine. She plays an important role in explaining the theme or background idea of this fantasy. She was the only daughter of Dr. Rappaccini. God had made her the paragon of beauty and physical grace. She was also an embodiment of innocence, sweetness, and purity. Her voice was as enchanting as the “sunshine in the south”. Her sweetness of temperament and magical face had made her famous in the whole town of Padua.

Beatrice is the only daughter of Prof. Rappaccini. She is young and beautiful. Her father‟s inhuman lust for knowledge has turned her into a poisonous human being. Her breath can kill. She hates her father's science but loves him too much to defy him.

So she becomes his agent of destruction by helping him in his work. She looks after the garden. But her father's love for destruction cannot infect her. She remains a deeply human character. She knows her misfortune but wishes to live a healthy normal life. She wishes to be loved but finds it impossible to go against her father's cruel will. She dies a tragic death in trying to test the effect of Baglioni's cure. Her last words reflect her true nature. She is a purely human character in spite of the inhuman teachings of her father. Her innocence and her sufferings make her a lovable character. So, her death comes as a shock.

Beatrice deserves pity not only for her sudden tragic death but also for her love and obedience to her father. She dies by the antidote given by her lover Giovanni, but actually, she is a victim of her father's thoughtless love and jealousy. She is to be pitied more for her unhappy isolation and of her only love affair.

The character of Beatrice inspires love as well as pity. She is a lonely girl deprived of true happiness and love. Her character has a symbolic significance. She stands for the beautiful world of nature that is being corrupted and polluted by science.

 

What is Fantasy?

 

Fantasy: (Also Spelled Phantasy )

 

It is an Imaginative fiction dependent for effect on strangeness of setting (such as other worlds or times) and of characters (such as supernatural or unnatural beings). Science fiction can be seen as a form of fantasy, but the terms are not interchangeable, as science fiction usually is set in the future and is based on some aspect of science or technology, while fantasy is set in an imaginary world and features the magic of mythical beings.

 

Explain The Following Lines

 

 “I would rather have been loved, not feared”, says Beatrice before dying.

 

 

“Believe it though my body be fed with poison, my spirit is God's creature, and needs love as its daily food”

 

EXPLANATION:

Rappaccini's Daughter by Hawthorne is a fantastic Love story that has tragic end. It emphasizes the importance of love in human life. The writer wants to show that love is a spiritual bond between young lovers. It is a spontaneous impulse that makes life charming purposeful and enjoyable.

Beatrice is a love-thirsty girl because her father had kept her secluded from human society. She readily used Professor Baglioni's medicine to assure her lover that she was sincere in her love. Before death she admitted to Giovanni that though her body had been poisoned by her father, yet her soul was God's creation that needed love for its nourishment and growth.

 

The story shows that love of humanity is also essential to keep man truly humane and sensible. Dr. Rappaccini was a loveless man who was more interested in research work than in human beings or human welfare. He wanted to get knowledge of power than the knowledge of service. He committed the mistake of making his daughter dangerous and fearful for others. When her daughter came to know the real intention of her father at the time of her death, she told him, “I would rather have been loved, not feared.” The story teaches the moral lesson that it is better to make oneself lovable and useful for others than to become authoritative and awful.

 

Thus Beatrice serves as the mouthpiece of Hawthorn to convey his moral message that love makes life charming, and that it is better to make oneself lovable and loving than to be dangerous and awful for his fellowmen.

The Killer Ernest Hemingway Summary and Questions Answers BSc BA English Notes Short Stories

 

Summary

The story “The Killers” is about the idea that crime does not pay. Criminals try to escape the consequences of their crimes, but they cannot. They have to face them resignedly. Nobody can help them. They are alone and their own.
It is five o’clock. Two men enter a restaurant. Their names are Al and Max. They are killers. They have come to kill Ole Anderson. Ole is a customer. George, Nick, and Sam are members of the staff of the restaurant.
The two men sat at the counter. The order for a heavy dinner. George tells them that it is five O’clock and they can get a heavy dinner at six O’clock. They talk to the members of the staff rudely. They make fun of them and call them bright boys.
After eating his meal, Al takes Nick and Sam to the kitchen. He makes them hostages at the gunpoint. Max sits with George at the counter to handle the situation. Max asks George to tell the customers that the cook is off. Fortunately, Ole does not come. After waiting for almost two hours, they leave the restaurant.
After their departure, Nick goes to Ole’s residence to tell him about the killers. However, Ole listens about the killers very casually. He tells him that nothing can be done. He thanks Nick on his coming and telling him about the killers. Nick returns and tells George about Ole. Nick is afraid of and wants to leave the town. George agrees to it.  

Question Answers

Q: Describe the scene in Henry's Lunchroom on the arrival of the Killers. 

Answer:-    

        Henry's Lunchroom was a small restaurant. It was visited regularly by middle and lower-middle-class people. At the time of the incident, the lunchroom was making preparations for dinner. The killer Al and Max entered the lunchroom. It was almost empty at that moment. They asked for some food that was not ready at that moment. They were provided with the available food. They ate with their gloves on. Their faces were different but they were dressed like twins. They were wearing derby hats, tight overcoats, silk mufflers, and gloves. They talked vulgarly.

They covered the staff with guns and started setting the scene for murder. They gagged the staff. They declared that they had come to kill a man named Ole Anderson. They looked quite calm and composed because they were professionals. 

The atmosphere in the lunchroom was charged with horror and suspense. It could be sworn that a murder was in the offing.
Then, slowly the suspense began to dissolve, as the victim did not turn up at his usual time. The killers decided to go back. They left, and the atmosphere came back to normal. After the killers had gone away, the proprietor sent one of the servants to Ole Anderson's residence to warn him against the danger to his life.
The business in the lunchroom resumed. The shadow of terror cast by the presence of the killers vanished with their departure.
The scene in the lunchroom during the presence of the killers is not unusual. In the slums of all big cities scenes of violence, drunken brawls and dacoities are quite common. Restaurants and lunchrooms are usual venues for such events. That is why there is no unusual commotion or panic in the lunchroom during or after the scene.
They covered the staff with guns and started setting the scene for murder. They gagged the staff. They declared that they had come to kill a man named Ole Anderson. They looked quite calm and composed because they were professionals.
The atmosphere in the lunchroom was charged with horror and suspense. It could be sworn that a murder was in the offing.
Then, slowly the suspense began to dissolve, as the victim did not turn up at his usual time. The killers decided to go back. They left, and the atmosphere came back to normal. After the killers had gone away, the proprietor sent one of the servants to Ole Anderson's residence to warn him against the danger to his life.
The business in the lunchroom resumed. The shadow of terror cast by the presence of the killers vanished with their departure.
The scene at the lunchroom during the presence of the killers is not unusual. In the slums of all big cities scenes of violence, drunken brawls and dacoities are quite common. Restaurants and lunchrooms are usual venues of such events. That is why there is no unusual commotion or panic in the lunchroom during or after the scene.

Q: What does the story tell us about American society? 

Answer:-    

        The story is a realistic picture of American social life at a lower level of society. It is a movie picture. We can see the characters in action and can hear what they say. We learn a lot from what we see and hear. We learn that Americans are very practical and business-like. They are neither romantic nor emotional.
They do not try to sugar coat their bad deeds. They do not waste time on excuses and explanations. The killers in the story just announce that they are going to kill a man.
They do not bother about excuses. They are callous like machines--- horror proof and even shame proof. We see that crime is no longer a horror in American society. For some people, it is just business. You can hire a killer as easily as you can to engage a taxi. This is, of course, the bottom of moral decline. American society of the present day is a purely materialistic society. The people have lost their softer human side. They think only in terms of money and power. Everybody lives for himself. Therefore nobody cares for what another does. Nobody is interested in the affairs of the man next-door. Nobody likes anybody to stand in his way. Therefore they do not hesitate from doing away with their rivals. This purely selfish attitude of individuals results in the collapse of society. And American society is now on the verge of a terrible collapse.

A Brief Note on Ole Anderson

The character of Ole Anderson has great significance in explaining the background of this story. It is through his reaction that Hemingway wants to convey his views about death. He wants to show that even strong men like the boxer feel helpless before the reality of death. The impending danger to his life had made him deeply dejected. He had been running from his enemies for a long time to save his life. He had now resigned himself to his fate and had realized the futility of the escapist attitude. That is why he did not agree with the suggestion of Nick to go to some other place to save his life. He also considered it useless to seek the help of the police. He was convinced that death is unavoidable and it should be embraced calmly and bravely when it comes. In this respect, he has been compared with Nick who felt much upset at the treatment of the terrorists and wanted to go to some safer place. Ole Anderson stands for the stoical acceptance of the reality of death, while Nick symbolizes the escapist attitude to it.

SHORT STORIES BSc BA English Notes Short Stories

 

SHORT STORIES

1- The Killers

The Killers is written by Ernest Hemingway for more detail and questions you can click the visit button below

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2- Rappaccini’s Daughter

Rappaccini’s Daughter is written by Nathaniel Hawthorne for more details and questions you can click on the visit button below

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3- The New Constitution

The New Constitution is written by Saadat Hasan Manto for more details and questions you can click the visit button below

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4- Breakfast

Breakfast is written by John Steinbeck for more details and questions you can click the visit button below

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5- Take Pity

Take Pity is written by Bernard Malamud for more details and questions you can click the visit button below

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6- The Happy Prince

The Happy Prince is written by Oscar Wilde for more details and questions you can click the visit button below

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7- Araby

Araby is written by James Joyce for more details and questions you can click on the visit button below

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8- The Tell Tale Heart

The Tell Tale Heart is written by Edger Allen Poe for more details and questions you can click the visit button below

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9- The Necklace

The Necklace is written by Guy de Maupassant for more details and questions you can click the visit button below

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10- The Duchess And The Jeweler

The Dutchess and the Jeweler is written by Virginia Woolf for more details and questions you can click the visit button below

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11- A Conversation With My Father

A Conversation With My Father is Written By Grace Paley for more details and questions you can click the visit button below

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12- The Fly

The Fly is written by Katherine Mansfield for more details and questions you can click the visit button below

Woman Work By Maya Angelou Reference Context Explanation for BA BSc English Notes Summary

 

Maya Angelou:

American born in St. Louis, 4 April 1928. Educated st schools in Arkansas and California.
Maya Angelou was an American poet, memoirist, and civil rights, activist, and award-winning author. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees.

Summary:

Maya Angelou, the poetess, has described the domestic routine of a housewife. The routine is mechanical, i.e. caring for the children, mending clothes, mapping floor, buying and cooking food and pressing clothes etc. It is in fact drudgery. No leisure is available to a woman. Even then she is dreaming of ideal life. She longs for rain, sunshine and snowfall. It gives woman strength to sustenance. She wishes to be one with nature and loves to be a part of the mountain, oceans, leaf and stone, star shine, moon glow. She likes to participate in nature around her. She is tired of her daily mechanical routine and requests the storm to rescue her as follows

Reference:

  These lines have been taken from the poem “Woman Work” written by Maya Angelou.

Context: 

This poem presents the miserable state of a working woman and her wish to live an ideal life. The poetess has shown different phases of her daily life. Basically, it is the poetess's desire to escape from the dull routine of life and having the company of nature It is an indirect praise of the woman's greatness. In general, the poem is an escape from the drudgery of the mechanical routine and taking shelter in an ideal life.

Stanza

I've got the children to tend

The clothes to mend

The floor or mop

The food to shop

Explanation:

In these lines, the poetess gives vent to her feelings for her dull and busy life. She is tired of the routine work of a working woman. She says she has to look after children at home. Also, she has to repair the clothes of the members of her family. She has to clean the floor of her house and has to collect edibles from the shop for her family. After that, she has to cook those things which she has brought from the shop.

Stanza

Then chicken to fry

The baby to dry

I got company to feed

The garden to weed

I've got the shirts to press

The tots to dress

The cane to be cut

I got to clean up this hut.

Explanation:

These lines are a continuation of her domestic chores. She has mentioned some of the chores in the previous stanza and of some talks here. She says that she has to cook chicken for the family. Also she has to dry the baby after bathing it. After that she has to prepare meal for her guests. She has to remove unwanted plants from her garden. She has to press the clothes of her children and other members of her family. She has to dress her little children and also has to cut bamboos. She has to clean the whole house. All these chores are quite tough and require courage and forbearance on the part of a domestic woman.

Stanza

Shine on me, sunshine

Rain on me, rain

Fall softly, dewdrops

And cool my brow again.

Explanation:

In these lines, the poetess wants to enjoy the natural objects. She has got tired of domestic work and wants to go close to nature. She says that the sunlight should shine on her, rain should fall on her. The dewdrops should gently fall upon her. All these things can cool her brow. All these natural objects can give her satisfaction and peace.

Stanza

Storm, blow me from here

With your fiercest wind

Let me float across the sky

Till I can rest again.

Explanation:

These lines are an expression of her escapism from the busy life of a working woman. The domestic woman remains awfully busy and dreams of an ideal life. In these lines, she asks the storm to blow her from the busy world across the sky with its stormy wind. As such she will be able to get relief from the hurly-burly of life. She asks the storm to take her to an imaginary world for rest. Only imagination can give her, peace, solace, and satisfaction, otherwise, physically it is not possible to run away from this world. Shelley in “Ode to the West Wind” says, oh, lift me as a wave, a leaf, a cloud! I fall upon the thorns of life! I bleed!

Stanza

Fall gently, snow flakes

Cover me with white

Cold icy kisses and 

Let me rest tonight.

Explanation:

This stanza is also an expression of taking relief and refuge with natural objects. She asks the snow-flakes to fall gently on her body and completely cover it up and make it all white. When she will be completely under the charm and burden of the white snow, she will get solace. She further asks snow to touch and give her cold icy kisses, so that she may be able to have rest that night. Actually, natural objects can please a person and give the company for some time.

Stanza

Sun rain, curving sky

Mountain, oceans, leaf and stone

Star shine, moon glow

You're all that I can call my own.

Explanation:

In these lines, the poetess addresses all the natural objects to help her in giving relief from the busy life of a working woman. She wants to lose herself among the natural objects. That is why she asks the sun, rain, the curving sky, the mountains, the ocean, the leaf, and the stone to give her relief. Actually, she wants to get relief and joy from all these things and wants to run away from dark and dull life at home. That is why she asks the moon to glow, the shining stars to give her shelter with them. She calls all these things her own because she wants some leisure and satisfaction in these natural things. Nature can give delight to her and can transport her to peace and tranquility.

New Year Resolutions By Elizabeth Sewell Reference Context Explanation summary for BA BSc English Notes

Elizabeth Sewell:

March 9, 1919 – January 12, 2001, was a British-American critic, poet, novelist, and professor who often wrote about the connections between science and literature. She visited the States in 1949 and became an American citizen in 1973. She then lives and works in States. She has visited Pakistan and conducted a series of lectures on "Creative Writing" at Kinnaird College in 1988. She was given a National Award by the American Academy / Institute of Arts and Letters for her literary works.

Idea of Poem

New Year is traditionally the time of making resolutions of taking stock of our lives and resolving generally, to be better people. The poetess here makes an extraordinary resolution....that of facing and living with Reality. The "draining of long draughts" is generally associated with drinking wine. But here she is going to drink in quiet, as a means of cleansing herself. The nature of reality is uncomfortable; hence the use of the image of "bony arms"...but there will be comfort drawn from a resolution fulfilled.

Reference: 

These lines have been taken from the poem “New Year Resolutions”, written by Elizabeth Sewell.

Context:

This poem is about New Year's resolutions and promises. Another year has elapsed. At the start of the new year, the poetess takes stock of herself very realistically. She tries to make this world a better place by making new pledges. Her untraditional resolution is to face and lie with reality.

Stanza

I will drain

Long draughts of quiet

As purgation:

Explanation:

In these lines, the poetess describes her mental state and the way she would drink to purify her soul. She says that she will drink wine at night secretly. She will have long draughts during night and will purge herself from all kinds of evils. This will assist her in helping other people because her own mind and spirit will be free from all types of evils. “Long draughts of Quiet” also suggests that she will keep quiet most of time. This will be the best means for the purification of her soul and it will help her in leading beneficial and successful life. She says; she will talk less and hear more and mould her life into betterment.

Stanza

Remember

Twice daily

Who I am;

Explanation:

In the given lines Elizabeth says, she will remember herself twice daily, in the evening and in the morning. She will take into consideration what her aim of creation is. She will try to understand the purpose of life in general. Perhaps she means that she should recognize herself, which will help her in recognizing God and leading life for benefit of others.

Stanza

Will lie o' nights

In the bony arms

Of Reality and be comforted.

Explanation:

These are the concluding lines of the poem. Here, the poetess says she will accept reality. While sleeping at night, she will consider the bitter reality of life. During the new year, she will make some promises and pledges. She will sleep on thin, less-fleshy arms of reality. Accepting reality and facts is always a difficult thing, but she will accept it bravely. She will feel relieved and satisfied when she comes to know that she has spent her life for the benefit of others. The image of bony arms is a hard reality. Even then she will get delighted and feel comforted when she has fulfilled her promises and resolutions, she has made at the start of the new year

Summary

In this poem, the poetess, Elizabeth Sewell, has made an extraordinary resolution to make herself a better woman by facing and living with reality at the start of the New Year. New Year is generally understood as starting a new chapter of one‟s life. People make resolution by taking stock of their lives and resolving to be better ones. Socrates, the great Greek philosopher, is reported to have said that unexamined life is not worthy of living and it is almost a tradition with the sensible and reasonable people to take stock of their life and to resolve to be better people, at the start of the new year. So, the poetess has decided to live with reality in the New Year. Reality is not always comfortable but pinching and disturbing. The use of the image “bony arms” points to this fact. But the poetess is resolute and will draw comfort fulfilling her resolution. The phrase „draining of long draughts‟ is linked with drinking wine but the poetess intends to drink calmness and thinks it necessary for cleansing herself. It is quite natural and true that in loneliness and quiet one can examine one’s life honestly. It is self-criticism. A life examined critically purifies one for better future life. It is a short and interesting poem written by Elizabeth Sewell. The arrival of New Year is usually celebrated with great fervor and enthusiasm. It is a tradition to make some promises in the light of which one wants to spend one‟s New Year. Usually, people pledge to become better human beings in the New Year. The poetess makes an extraordinary resolution at the beginning of the New Year. She says that in order to purify her soul, she will remain quiet. She will drink long sips of quietness. It is a beautiful simile as if quietness is a medicine that can make her clean physically and spiritually from impurities. Quietness seems to purify her because when a person is quiet and is not taking an active part in the problems of the world, he gets time to have an insight into his own soul. He can then see his own impurities and drawbacks and can get rid of them. The poetess also wants to do this. She will face the reality. She will not have any high opinion about herself in the future. She will not lead a conceited life and have no superiority complex about herself.
From now on, she will speak the truth to herself. She will not misjudge her own personality. In order to fulfill this goal. She will remind herself about her own reality twice during a day. Her assessment of herself will be true and real. During the night also, she will not forget reality. No doubt, it is a time when one forgets the bitter realities of this world and is lost in the imaginary world of dreams. But she pledges that she will not lose her contact with reality though it is hard like the bony arms yet she will prefer it because she has made her pledge and only the fulfillment of her promise will make her happy.
It is a very hard thing to face the reality and especially the reality about our own self. Our ego and our conceited self stop us from seeing our weakness. Without facing these realities, we are unable to improve ourselves. So the resolution to see the reality is the first step towards reformation.

Patriot into Traitor By Robert Browning Reference Context Explanation summary for BA BSc English Notes

 

About the Poet

Robert Browning

All The World's a Stage by William Shakespeare Reference Context Explanation summary for BA BSc English Notes

Note:        For the purpose of better understand I have part stanzas according to ages or stages.

Poet:  William Shakespeare

About the Poet

William Shakespeare:

William Shakespeare was born at Stratford-on-Avon in 1564 and died in 1616. He is undoubtedly the greatest English dramatist and poet. He began writing at an early age and had established a reputation for himself by acting and writing plays. His early works include the poems " Venus and Adonis" (1593) and the "The Rape of Lucrece" (1594). The controversial sonnets: "To the dark lady: appeared in 1609. He acted in Ben Jonson's "Every Man in his Humour" and probably played the part of the Ghost in his own "Hamlet". The 18th century did not think much of Shakespeare as a dramatist, and his plays were adapted and changed to suit the taste of the age. However, the 19th century saw a reaction in his favour and modern critics agree that he is the world's greatest dramatist: his knowledge on men and women is unequalled. Not only does he give us magnificent poetry, but also a profound insight into human nature.

Idea of the Poem:

Shakespeare over here has masterfully described the stages of human life. The use of acting and stage is a recurrent one in Shakespeare, not only because he was a dramatist, but also he was himself an actor. He compares the world to a stage and all human beings to actors enacting their allotted roles. The deeper meaning is that of the transience of life and brief span of importance or fame that we as actors enjoy and "then are heard no more" (Macbeth). The poet has divided life int seven stages spanning infancy to old age. Shakespeare profound knowledge of human life and acute observation can be seen here. The use of the word "mewling" for the infant cry is a wonderful stroke, and "creeping like a snail" is more than accurate descriptions of the reluctance school-going children. The last stage of a man's life evokes a feeling of pathos--all youthful passion spent, all ambition gone, and man reduced to a mere shadow of himself, sinking into oblivion.

Reference: 

These lines have been taken from the poem “All the World's a Stage” written by William Shakespeare.

Context: 

This sonnet of Shakespeare is from his famous play “As You Like It”. This poem describes various stages of human life. Life has been compared to a play or drama played by every man and woman on the stage of the world. His seven stages of life are the seven acts of a play. This shows Shakespeare's deep knowledge and the transience of human life.

Stanza:  

    All the world's a stage,

    And all the men and women merely players:
    They have their exits and their entrances'
    And one man in his time plays many parts,
    His acts being seven ages.

Explanation:

In these lines, the poet compares this world to a stage. All men and women are only actors and actresses on the stage of this world. All these people have different routes to enter this stage and also have different exits to go out. They enter this stage when they are born and leave this stage when they die. Every person, during his lifetime, plays many parts. These parts are called seven ages. These ages are actually like acts of a play.

7 Ages (stages):

        1: An infant crying • 2: A complaining schoolboy • 3: A lover • 4: A bearded soldier • 5: A wise justice • 6: An old man • 7: Second childhood (Last stage)

Stanza: 

    At first the infant,
    Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms.
    And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel,
    And shining morning face, creeping like snail
    Unwillingly to school. 

Explanation:

In the given lines, the poet expresses the first stage of a man's life is his infancy. During his infancy, he cries and throws up milk and vomits when he is in the hands of a mother or a nurse. 

The second stage is his boyhood. This is his school-going period. It is the time when he complains all the time. His face shines like the bright and fresh morning. He carries his school bag and unwillingly goes to school at the speed of an insect.

Stanza: 

     And then the lover,
     Sighing like a furnace, with a woeful ballad
     Made to his mistress' eyebrow.
        

Explanation:

This is the third stage of man's life. Now he is a grown-up person and assumes the form of a lover. It is the time when he loves his beloved ardently. He sighs like a furnace or an oven. He writes a song in praise of his beloved's eyebrow. He also sings such songs again and again as he burns in his emotions.

Stanza: 

    Then a soldier,
     Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard

     Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel.
    Seeking the bubble reputation

     Even in the cannon's mouth.

Explanation:

The fourth stage of a man's life. When he matures, he becomes a soldier. He takes strange oaths. He has a beard like a tiger or a leopard. He is fierce like these animals. During this stage of life, man is jealous of the honour of others. He is very quick-tempered and owns quarrels. Since he is warm-blooded, he looks for a temporary reputation and fame. To achieve this temporary fame, he is even ready to go into the mouth of a gun. He does not bother for dangers.

Stanza: 

    And then the justice,
    In fair round belly with good capon lin'd,
    With eyes severe, and beard of formal cut.
    Full of wise saws and modern instances;
    And so he plays his part. 

Explanation:

In the given lines, the poet expresses This is the fifth stage of man's life. Here man becomes middle-aged and mature like a judge and has a fair round belly full of the meat of chickens. Perhaps, he has become ft because he eats meat and fat castrated cocks in excess. It is the stage when he is firm, serious and grim. His conversation is full of many different proverbs of the world of the past and is also full of examples from the modern age. He has a beard of formal cut and as such plays this part of life.

Stanza: 

    The sixth age shifts,
    Into the lean and slipper'd pantaloons,
    With spectacles on nose and pouch on side,
    His youthful hose well sav'd, a world too wide,
    For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
    Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
    And whistles in his sound.  

Explanation:

This is the sixth stage of man's life. In this stage man shifts from middle age, to old age. Now he wears pantaloon with slippers on his feet. He has become thin, weak and lean. He wears now spectacles on his nose because of his weak eye-sight. He has also a purse by his side in which he keeps money and tobacco. He uses long socks which he has saved during his youth. Now, these socks are very loose to his lean leg and look strange. His big loud manly voice has turned into the shrill voice of a child. Since, some of his teeth have fallen, whenever he tries to speak. Its seems as if he were playing upon a pipe or as if he were whistling.

Stanza: 

    Last scene of all,
    That ends this strange eventful history,
    Is second childishness and mere oblivion
    Sans teeth, sane eyes, sans taste, sans everything.  

Explanation:

This is the last stage of man's life. In this stage, he changes from his old age to the oldest one. This is a strange stage of life. In this period all the life which has been previously full of strange events comes to an end. Man becomes a child once again. This is like his second childhood. In this stage, he is childish as well as childlike. At this stage, he forgets almost everything. His memory becomes very weak. He loses teeth, eye-sight and taste. He is without everything. This is the stage in which he completes the drama of his life and leaves the stage of this world for the next.